Part 2: Level I, II, III and IV Dental Practices

What kind of a dentist do you want to be?

Results of Level I Practice:

• Busy, busy, busy – focus is on production
• High stress environment
• Patients expect little and get little
• Patients get today’s problems treated with little or no thought of the future.
• Staff or team are not engaged and involved: have a TIGF, or ‘thank God its Friday outlook’.
• There is little or no fun or fulfillment at work.
• Piecemeal, patchwork, large fixed facility with many ops and many staff people.
• Many staff conflicts
• Doctors aren’t on the same page.
• Commodity and low fees.
• Patients and dentists locked into ‘plans, PPO’s and totally insurance based.

Results of Level II Practice:

• Similar to Level I with money and production and doing things to people as the focus.
• Staff bonus systems on ‘up selling’ or ‘manipulation’ sales techniques’
• Production and money driven.
• Patients buy what insurance will pay and little more.
• Focus is on bigger ticket items such as:
— Implants
— Cosmetic dentistry
— Surgery
— Crown and bridge
• High production, high pressure, lots of stress.
• Limited treatment planning

Results of Level III Practice:

• Slower pace.
• Fewer patients, far greater treatment per patient
• Far deeper and more significant relationships
• Treating the whole mouth and patient.
• Far greater patient involvement and participation.
• Patients not dependent on insurance.
• May have to pace treatment, but accept the optimum care and willingly pay for it.
• Comprehensive Co-Discovery, Co-Diagnosis, Co-Treatment Planning and Co-Delivery of the treatment.
• High internal rate of referral.
• Works with specialists and coordinates treatment.
• Medium to high gross income with high Net Profit, High Fulfillment, and High Sense of Purpose.

Almost all of us begin as Level I dentists, migrate to Level II thinking and if we learn, develop as human beings, feel free to express our values, and learn how to Control Money, Time and Organize all the Strategies and Systems, Communicate openly and honestly, then we can evolve and develop into Level III dentists.

Level III requires a commitment to learn, grow and evolve. It requires technical competency, management competency, leadership competency, communication and yes, sales competency.

A Level III and Level IV dentist is a lifetime commitment to truth, learning and development. As a Level III and IV dentist myself, I can tell you that I still love what I do. I still love meeting patients, working with patients and feel like I am still getting better.

A true Level III and IV dentist never wants to quit. The question is why would you want to stop doing something you love to do. Level III and IV dentists can stop working, but practice dentistry for fulfillment.

Results of Level IV Practice:

• All of the results of a Level III dentist plus…
• Leadership – community involvement.
• Mentorship – the willingness to help other dentists.
• Dedicated Professional – continued higher learning and dedication.
• Student of life – mental, emotional and philosophical progression.

I realize that the masses of dentists are Level I and II and it will always be this way, but this is YOUR LIFE and YOUR PRACTICE. Don’t sell yourself short. You only have ONE LIFE TO LIVE.
I’m always happy to talk with you. If you want to get a hold of me please call the office at 480-941-9393 to ask Mary to make us an appointment to speak by phone.